Means for burning brick



Nov. 8, 1932. N. B. KENDRICK MEANS FOR BURNING BRICK Filed April 12,1932 2. Sheets-Sheet l [70 ch 5. Kendrick gwmmkoz 3% am M 1932- N. B.KENDRICK MEANS FOR BURNING BRICK Filed April 12, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 2ii H ii ii ll H v 1:75;: gmentoz: No 0/7 5. K znar/ck Patented Nov. 81932 NOAHZB'Q KENDRICK, or MoUrrr HOLLY, NOR-TH CAROLINA MEANS FORBURNING BRICK Application filed April 12,1932. Serial No. 604,758.

the first kiln to the secondkiln can be closed and the duct leading fromthe second kiln to the third kiln can be opened and in that way the heatdrawn from the kiln in which the fire is being maintained will be usedfor preheating the next succeeding kiln, consequently, a great saving ofexpense and time in burning brick in the kilns is efiected.

It is, of course, evident that this invention is not to be limited tothe burning of brick in the kilns as it is evident that the kilns may befilled with tiles, earthen pipes, insulators, and in fact any objectsmade of ceramic materials.

Some of the objects of the invention having been stated, the method andmeans will more fully hereinafter appear when taken in connection withthe accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a plan diagrammaticview of a brick yard showing a plurality of kilns connected in seriesand provided with a circular draft duct for creating a draft in thekilns and also being provided with a circular draft duct for withdrawingthe heat from the kilns after the fire has ceased burning therein;

Figure 2 is a cross sectional view taken along line 22 and showing onekiln in sec connected to draft duct 10. ground duct 46 having a gate 47.therein leads cular formation so that a continuous process can becarriedout. The reference character 10 indicates an underground circular ductfor creating a draft thru the kilns having a passageway 11 leading to anexhaust fan 12 driven by any suitable means such as a motor l3 andexhausting as at 14.

Reference character 15 indicates a circular duct for removing the heatfrom the kilns after the burning operation has been com pleted and thishas a passageway 16 having an exhaust fan 17 driven by any suitablemeans such as a motor 18 and exhausting as at 19. A plurality of kilns20, 21, 22, 23, 24; and 25 are provided. A duct 26 leads from coolingduct 15 to the bottom central portion of kiln 20 and has a gate 27therein. A duct 28 communicateswith the lower central portion of kiln 20and runs underground to draft duct 10 and has a gate 29 therein. Anunderground duct 30 extends from duct 28 toa vertical stack 31 extendingabove the top of kiln 21 and a suitable duct or pipe 32 leads intothe'top of kiln 21. Duct 30 has a gate 33 therein.

Kiln 21 has a duct 59 connected to cooling duct 15 which has a gate 3%therein. This duct 59 connects to the lower central portion of kiln 21as is evident in Figure 2. A duct 35 is connected to the lower centralportion of kiln 21 and leads to draft duct 10 and a gate 36 is disposedin said duct 35. Leading from duct 35 is an underground duct 37 having agate 38 therein and this duct 37 connects to the lower embedded pore 35tion of vertical stack 39 extending above the top level of kiln 22 and apipe or any suit able duct 40 leads into the top of kiln 22. Kiln 22 hasan underground duct 41 communicating with cooling duct 15.- Duct 41 hasa vertically slidable gate 42 therein. Duct 4E1, likewise, extendsbeneath kiln 22 and communicates with the central lower surface thereof.A duct 14 having a gate 15 therein communicates with the opening in thefloor of central portionof kiln 22 and is An underfrom duct 44: tovertically disposed stack 48 and from the top of stack 48 apipe, orother suitable duct 49 leads into the top of kiln 23.

Kiln 23 has communicating with the central portion of the floor thereofa duct 50 having gate 51 therein, said duct 50 communicating withcooling? duct 15. A duct 52 communicates with the central floor portionof kiln 23 and also draft duct 10 and has a gate 53 therein. 7

Duct 52 has communicating therewith duct 54 which has gate 55 therein,said duct 54 communicating with vertically disposed stack 56 which has aduct or pipe 57 leading into top of kiln 24. Kiln 24 has duct 60 havinggate 61 therein communicating with cooling duct 15, said duct 60 leadingto the center of the floor for kiln 24. A duct 62 also communicates withthe center of the floor portion of kiln 24 which communicates with draftduct 10 and has a gate 63 therein. Communicating with duct 62 is a duct64 having a gate 65 therein, said duct 64 leading to vertically disposedstack 66 which has a pipe or duct 67 leading into the top of kiln 25.

Kiln 25 has duct 70 communicating with cooling duct 15 and has a gate 71therein,

said duct 70 leading to the center of the floor of kiln 25. A duct 72leads from the center of the floor of kiln 25 and communicates withdraft duct 10 and has a gate 73 .therein. A duct 74 having a gate 75therein communicates with duct 72 and also with the vertically disposedstack 76 which has a duct or pipe 77 communicating with the top of kiln20.

Each of the kilns has a plurality of fire boXes58 which is conventionaland which receives the coal or other fuel for firing'the kiln. The kilnsare packed full of brick or other ceramic objects 78in a loose manner soas to causethe heat andflame to pass thru all portions of the brick orother ceramic objects for drying and burning the same.

In the other form of my invention shown in Figure 3, cooling duct isindicated by reference character having an exhaust fan 101 driven by amotor 102 and having an exhaust portion 103. A draft duct 104 isprovided having an exhaust fan 105 driven by any suitable motor 106 andhaving an exhaust portion 107. A plurality of kilns 110, 111, 112, 113and 114 are provided which are of the same structure shown in Figures 1and 2. A duct 115 leads beneath kiln 110 and is connected to draft duct104 and cooling duct 100 and has gates 116 and 117 therein and this ductcommunicates with the central floor portion of kiln 110 in the samemanner as shown in Figure 2. A duct 118 is connected 111 and isconnected to ducts 100 and 104 and has gates 123 and 124 therein. Duct122 communicates with the center floor portion portion of kiln 111.

Leading from duct 122 is a duct 126 having a gate 127 therein which duct126 communicates with the lower end of vertical stack 128 which has apipe or other suitable duct 129 leading into the top of kiln 112. Kiln112 has passing therebenea'th and communicating with the center floorportion thereof a duct 130 which communicates with ducts 100 and 104 andhas gates 131 and 132 therein. Communicating with duct 130 is a duct 133having gate 134 therein which duct 133 communicates with vertical stack135 which has a pipe or other duct 136 leading to the top of kiln 113.

Kiln 113 has duct 140 leading therebeneath and communicating with thecenter of the floor portion thereof, and said duct 140 communicates withduct 100 and 104. Duct 140 has gates 141 and 142 therein. Communicatingwith duct 140 is a duct 143 having a gate 144 therein, said duct 143connnunicating with the lower portion of stack 145 which has a pipe orother suitable duct 146 leading into the top of kiln 114. Kiln 114 has asuitable duct 150 leading therebeneath and communicating with the centerof the floor portion thereof and this duct has the gates 151 and 152therein.

The method of operation of the device shown in Figure 1 is such that itmay be carried on continuously. Let us suppose that with gate 75 closedthat kiln 20 is packed full of brick or other ceramic objects and gates26 and 33 are closed and gate 29 is opened and fan 12 is started inoperation and with the fire being in operation in all of thefire boxesin kiln 20 this fire will be continued approximately two days andordinarily it takes about six days of firing with coal to produce thebestgrade of brick or other ceramic objects. After about two days offiring of kiln 20, gate 29 is closed and gate 33 is opened and,therefore, the draft which is necessary to be passed continuously thrukiln 20, instead of being drawn into draft duct 10 and the heattherefore wasted is led thru duct 30 and up thru stack 31 and thru duct32 into the top of kiln 21 and with gate 34 closed and also gate 38closed and gate 36 opened, the draft is pulled thru kiln 21 forapproximately four days until kiln 20 is completed in burning. When kiln20 is completely burned then the fire is drawn and at the same time gate33 is closed and fire is started in kiln 21 and since kiln'21 has beenpre-heated for several days to thoroughly dry the brick or other ceramicobjects it takes approximately only one half time to complete theburning operation in kiln 21. With the fire going in kiln 21 and gate 33being closed as well as gate 36 but with gate 38 opened draft is drawnthru tax duct 37 and stack 39 and duct 40 and thru kiln 22 and back thruduct 44 as gate 45 will be opened where gates 42 and 47 will be closed.

This operation will be continued around the entire apparatus, and whilethis is being continued, it is evident that with gates 75, 33 and 29closed, gate 27 will be opened immediately after the firing operationhas ceased in kiln 20 and fan 17 is placed in operation to draw the heatfrom kiln 20 so that the door which has been sealed up can be unsealedand the brick or other ceramic objects removed therefrom. This operationfollows the burnin operation around the complete circle so that by thetime kiln 25 has been pre-heated and fire is ready to begin in kiln 25,kiln 20 will again be ready for operation as it will have been clearedand packed full of brick or other ceramic objects and the draft fromkiln 25 instead of being pulled thru duct 72 into draft duct 10 by gate75 being open, will be pulled thru duct 74, stack 76, duct 77 and thrukiln 20 and in this manner it is seen that a continuous operation can becarried on, thus saving a great amount of fuel in the burning operation.

The method of operation in the structure shown in Figure 3 is similar tothat shown in Figure 1 except by the arrangement in Figure 3 theoperation cannot be continuous because when kiln 114 has been in theprocess of burning the draft therefrom cannot be led thru another kilnbut the firing operation will have to begin again with kiln 110.

In Figure 3 fire is started in kiln 110 with gate 117 open and fan 105running. After approximately two days of burning in kiln 110, gate 117is closed and gates 119 and 124 are opened and for the remainder of theburning of kiln 110 the draft is drawn from kiln 110 thru duct 115 andduct 118 and into the top of kiln 111 and thru duct 122 with gate 124being opened. Of course, when kiln 110 has been completely burned andfire is started in kiln 111 then gate 119 will be closed and also gate124 will be closed and gate 127 opened and the draft from the burningkiln 111 will be drawn thru kiln 112 with gate 132 opened.

This pre-heating of kiln 112 at any suitable time after the fire hasbeen started in kiln 111, the draft being drawn thru kiln 112 asufficient amount of times to thoroughly dry the brick therein so thatthe only fire needed is enough to glaze and finish the glazing anddrying operation. The operation just described for kilns 110 and 111 and112 is carried out on thru until kiln 114 has been completely burnedand, of course, the operation can be completed by exhausting the burnedkilns into cooling duct 100 by means of fan 101. c

It is, of course, to be understood that while on the other side of thekilns, means connecting the bottom of each of the kilnswith both thedraft duct and the cooling duct, gates in said connecting ducts locatedbetween the kiln and the respective ducts, a duct leading from theconnecting duct of one kiln to the top of another kiln whereby the drafton a I burning kiln can be conducted through the top of and downwardlythru another nonburning kiln to pre-heat the ceramic objects in thenon-burning kiln. I

Ceramic burning apparatus comprising a plurality of kilns a cooling ductand a draft duct, a duct connecting the bottom of said kilns to thecooling duct, a duct connecting the bottom of said kilns to the draftduct, a duct leading from the bottom of onekiln through the top ofanother kiln and means for opening and closing said ducts to draw theheat from the bottom of a burning kiln through the top of a non-burningkiln and out of the bottom of the non-burning kiln into the draft duct.

3. Means for creating a draft in a kiln for burning ceramic objectswhich comprises conducting means for the draft leading from the bottomof one kiln through the top of the next kiln and means for withdrawingthe draft from the bottom of said next kiln.

4. Apparatus for burning clay products such as brick and the like whichcomprises a plurality of kilns having an inter-connecting duct betweeneach kiln, each of said ducts leading from the bottom of one kiln andextending outwardly and upwardly and comfi pnicating with the top of thenext adjacent 5. Apparatus for burning clay composition articles such asbrick and the like comprising a plurality of spaced kilns, said kilnsbeing connected in series by means of a duct leading from the bottom ofone kiln into the top of another kiln and suction means for drawingheated air from the bottom of one kiln into the top of another kilnthrough said duct.

6. In apparatus for burning clay compositions comprising a plurality ofkilns, a circulatory system for said kilns comprising a duct leadingfrom the bottom of the first kiln. into the top of the second kiln andfrom the bottom of the second kiln into the top of the third kiln untilall kilns are thus con nected together and means for creating a partialvacuum in any selected duct to cause heat from one kiln to be passedinto and through another kiln. I

"7. In an apparatus for burning clay com positions such as brick and thelike compris-' ing a plurality of spaced kilns, means for connecting thekilns together comprising a duct disposed between each kiln and havingone end thereof communicating with the bottom of one kiln and its otherend connected directly to the topmost half of the next adjacent kiln anddraft creating means for callsing heated air to flow from the bottom ofone kiln through said duct into the topmost half of the next adjacentkiln.

8. In an apparatus for burning clay compositions such as brick and thelike, a plurality of kilns, a pair of spaced ducts, a transverse ductfor each kiln disposed beneath each kiln and having its central portioncommunicating with the interior of the kiln and having its end portionscommunicating with said spaced ducts, a pair of gates in each transverseduct disposed on opposite sides of the kiln, an exhaust fan connected toone of the spaced ducts and an induction fan connected to the otherspaced duct, a duct for each transverse duct connected at one endthereof with the transverse duct and at the other end thereof with thetop interior portion of an adj acent kiln.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

NOAH B. KENDRICK.

